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Over half a million British citizens are now seeking healthcare overseas annually, according to recent statistics.

Cut-price operations and long NHSWaiting lists are driving a surge in health tourism, as the number of people traveling abroad increases significantly each year.

According to data from the Office for National Statistics, there has been a 50% rise since 2022, with 523,000 individuals opting for treatment abroad last year.

Out of these, over 40 percent went to Turkey – which has become well-known as a center for inexpensive optionscosmetic surgery. Other well-liked locations werePoland, Romania and Portugal.

Indiawas the sole nation beyond Europe to enter the top ten, drawing in 22,000 British visitors.

Among the individuals pursuing treatment abroad was 66-year-old Paul Seamons, who traveled to Lithuania for a hip replacement following his diagnosis withosteoarthritis. 

“I first visited an NHS consultant, who told me that a full hip replacement was necessary and that I would be placed on the waiting list,” said the retiree from Norfolk.

I lead a highly energetic life, walking about three miles daily and cycling 300 miles weekly, so I was really unwilling to have to stop that for an extended period.

Following a friend’s suggestion, he scheduled an operation in a Baltic country.

Shortly after his initial inquiry, he traveled in June 2024 for the treatment – costing £8,500, roughly half the private fee in the UK.

Mr. Seamons underwent hip replacement surgery at Nordclinic in Kaunas, Lithuania, and remarked, “The entire process was excellent from beginning to end.”

Only seven weeks later, he was back on his bicycle, covering 60 miles, and has since finished an intense 240-mile journey without stopping.

Orthopaedic surgery has become the most waited-for treatment in the NHS, with 700,888 patients awaiting hip, knee, and other joint procedures – the largest number recorded in over ten years.

Hospitals throughout Europe are experiencing an increase in British patients seeking to avoid long wait times in their own country, attracted by costs that are frequently 50 percent less than those at private clinics in the UK.

“This substantial and sharp rise in the number of patients highlights the pressure being experienced by the NHS,” stated Vilius Sketrys, commercial director at Nordclinic.

The first thing potential patients mention to us is that they go abroad due to the long waiting lists.

“They don’t wish to delay their lives and endure years of suffering and discomfort before they can return to a normal life,” Mr. Sketrys stated.

We are informed about waiting periods of as long as four years for joint surgery and other procedures, although this can differ based on the location. However, patients believe they have no choice but to opt for private care if they wish to regain their quality of life.

Nevertheless, specialists caution that seeking medical care abroad can expose individuals to significant dangers.

Dr. Mo Akhavani, a consultant surgeon and co-founder of The Plastic Surgery Group, stated: “One of the primary risks associated with undergoing significant surgery overseas is boarding a flight afterward.”

It is advised that you avoid flying for six weeks because of the heightened risk of blood clots. However, since remaining overseas for such a long time is very expensive, most patients return home earlier – which means they are taking a significant risk with their health.

He mentioned that although many individuals consult in the UK, they often opt for more affordable procedures overseas—only to come back requesting that the “disaster be resolved.”

“The problem is that if you travel overseas and something goes wrong, you might have difficulty finding a doctor here who will fix it,” he cautioned.

It’s not that every surgeon abroad is poor – there are skilled professionals – but the essential pre- and post-operative care is frequently lacking in short-term, temporary procedures.

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